Life on Capitol Hill February 2023

Baby At Ease

A new business that caters to babies’ nighttime needs recently opened in southwest Denver.

Founder Stephanie Patterson opened Baby At Ease after having the business idea for several years. Patterson launched it as an online store in October 2021, and about year later, had saved enough money to open its brickand-mortar at 6460 E. Yale Ave.

As a mother, Patterson found she always had troubles at nighttime, so she wanted to create a business that could provide “comfort at night for baby and mother,” she said.

Most of the products that Baby At Ease carries cater to nighttime, such as pjs, swaddle blankets, plush toys and bathing products. “ ey set the tone for the baby at night,” Patterson said.

Shoppers can customize a baby basket for individual family needs, and many of the shop’s pjs are adaptable so they can be worn during the day for an outing which can save a busy parent a lot time, Patterson added. e shop carries clothing in sizes newborn to 2T. It also has a consignment section that o ers customers the opportunity to get points to shop in the store when they bring in their gently-used clothing.

Baby At Ease o ers member subscriptions, which provides many perks — including a wash, fold and dry laundry service.

Patterson has been working with children her whole life — her own three daughters will be helping out at the shop sometimes, selling candy and chocolate in their spare time — and particularly enjoys hearing the ideas that parents and customers o er while shopping.

To learn more about Baby At Ease, visit babyatease.com.

Stephanie Patterson of Denver recently opened her Baby

At Ease shop at 6460 E. Yale Ave. in southeast Denver. Courtesy photo.

BookBar

BookBar, an independent bookstore located at 4280 Tennyson St. in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood that boasted a bar and café, closed on Jan. 31.

A letter posted on its website read:

“When we became a Public Bene t Corporation in November 2021, with our purchase of e Bookies Bookstore, I was optimistic about a business model framed around giving back to the community through books. at model will still live on at e Bookies but it is not sustainable for BookBar. We simply aren’t able to cover our expenses, much less while giving 10% of book sales to our nonpro t, BookGive, and I’m just no longer motivated to run a pro t-driven business without giving as its core mission.”

As stated in the letter, e Bookies will remain open. It is also an independent bookstore and is located at 4315 E. Mississippi Ave. in Glendale. To learn more, visit thebookies.com. To learn more about the nonpro t, BookGive, visit bookgivedenver.org.

Logo courtesy of BookBar website.

Black Legacy Project

e Black Legacy Project is issuing a nationwide call for musicians to assemble a band — the Black Legacy Project Band — to tour behind the upcoming debut album and subsequent releases of e Black Legacy Project, Vol. 1.

e Black Legacy Project is produced by the Atlanta-based nonpro t Music in Common. It is a national project that brings together artists of all backgrounds to celebrate Black history by recording present day interpretations of songs central to the Black American experience and composing originals relevant to the pressing calls for change of our time. e project kicked o in September 2021 and was in Denver in September 2022 — the songs that were created in Denver will appear on Vol 1.

e rst tour for the Black Legacy Project Band is scheduled for late May and will take place throughout the southeastern United States. Interested musicians can audition online at theblacklegacyproject.org/audition. Auditions will close on Feb. 15 and nal band member selections will be made by the end of the month.

e Black Legacy Project Vol. 1 will be released on April 3, which is the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

To learn more about the Black Legacy Project, including its stop in Denver, visit theblacklegacyproject.org/Denver.

Courtesy logo.

Hertz Electrifies

A new, recently-announced public-private partnership initiative called Hertz Electri es is coming to Denver.

Working in partnership with mayors across the country, Hertz Electri es aims further the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles and extend the bene ts of electri cation to communities throughout the United States, states a news release. “ e initiative has ve pillars: (1) electric vehicle and charging infrastructure; (2) creating jobs of the future; (3) broadening economic opportunity; (4) community engagement; and (5) policy and city planning analysis,” according to the news release. In Denver, the new initiative expects to bring 5,200 rental EVs to Denver for Hertz customers and rideshare drivers, install additional Level 2 and fast chargers at Denver International Airport and Hertz locations, work with a company called bp pulse to support the installation of publicly accessible EV chargers across neighborhoods in Denver, and o er various job opportunities and training programs for local youth.

To learn more about Hertz, a rental car company, visit hertz.com.

Ratio Beerworks

Ratio Beerworks celebrated the one-year anniversary of opening its second taproom in Denver’s Overland neighborhood in January. e brewery got its start about eight years ago, and boasts two Denver taprooms: 2920 Larimer St. in Five Points and 2030 S. Cherokee St. in Overland.

While not a live music venue, Ratio does host live music occasionally, as well as other special events.

Learn more at ratiobeerworks.com.

Logo courtesy of Ratio Beerworks Facebook.

YMCA

Registration for YMCA’s youth summer camps and sports opens in February. Summer camp registration opens on Feb. 6.

ese o erings include Adventure Camp for ages 11-14; Sports Camp for ages 8-12; STEM Camp, Art Camp and Dance Camp, all for ages 7-12; Nature and Food-Dig In Camp for ages 9-13; and

The Crypt

e Crypt, a “Tales From the Crypt” themed bar and restaurant in Denver’s City Park West neighborhood, celebrated its one-year anniversary in January.

Located at 1618 E. 17th Ave., e Crypt o ers a mostly-vegan menu, but also has options with meat. e drink menu o ers an extensive beer list, including beer on tap.

Learn more at thecryptdenver.com.

Logo courtesy of e Crypt website.

Bang Up to the Elephant!

Bang Up to the Elephant! celebrated its ve-year anniversary in January.

e restaurant is located at 1310 N. Pearl St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The Long Way Home: Colorado Community Media examines the impacts of the housing crisis

STAFF REPORT

People across the metro area are struggling to afford a place to live. Minimum wage earners might spend upwards of 60% of their paychecks on rent. Many millennials, now entering their 40s, have accumulated less wealth than prior generations and are struggling to find a first home they can afford. At the same time, those who might sell, baby boomers, are prone to hold onto their homes, unable to downsize in the supercharged market.

These and other factors, including homelessness, a history of racial disparities where 71% of White Coloradans own homes but only 42% of Black Coloradans do, and a slow down in building that began more than a decade ago during the Great Recession, add up to constitute what some experts call a crisis in housing affordability and availability.

Over the last six months, two dozen journalists, editors

and staff at Colorado Community Media worked to answer questions on why this is happening, how we got here and what the solutions are.

The work to find the answers carried our journalists along the Front Range to talk to mayors, housing authorities, experts and, most importantly, lower- and middleclass families experiencing the crisis first hand.

Our reporters and editors talked directly with prospective homebuyers, like the single mom worried that another rent increase could land her in her car and the real estate agent who understood the problems but worried about a lack of solutions.

Colorado Community Media’s the Long Way Home series provides an in-depth look at how the current crisis impacts our communities.

Contributors to theproject include:

Bang Up to the Elephant! features a vegan Caribbean-style style menu and tropical bar that is entirely plant-based. Learn more at banguptotheelephant.restaurant.

Image courtesy of Bang Up to the Elephant! website.

Vive Float Studio+

Vive Float Studio+ celebrated its ve-year anniversary in January. It is located at 250 Steele St., Ste 110, in

Leaders in Training Camp

for ages 12-14. Registration for Day Camp also opens, which is for ages 5-15, depending on the site. Before camp care is o ered at select locations.

Spring sports registration opens on Feb. 13.

e spring sport o erings are: volleyball, basketball, soccer and baseball.

To learn more about the YMCA’s summer camp and sport o erings, or to locate a YMCA near your neighborhood, visit denverymca.org. Courtesy logo.

Urban Peak

Urban Peak broke ground on Jan. 23

Denver’s Cherry Creek North.

Owner Andi Sigler opened the rst Vive in Frisco, and the Cherry Creek North location followed in January 2018. Sigler opened her third Vive in Chicago in March 2018.

Vive Float Studio is a rest and recovery wellness center that provides mental and physical restoration through its various therapies. Learn more at vive oatstudio.com.

Andi Sigler, founder/owner of ViveFloat Studio+, 250 Steele St. Suite 110, in Denver’s Cherry Creek North. Photo by Christy Stead-

on its new campus for youth experiencing homelessness commonly known as e Mothership.

Once it opens, the new campus will replace Urban Peak’s former shelter facility and will be able to provide case management, medical and mental health care, and education and employment services all on the one campus. It will all also provide temporary shelter for youth ages 15-24 and will have graduated, apartment-style housing. e project is estimated to cost about $37 million and is being funded through a variety of public and private sources.

Urban Peak is a local nonpro t that serves youth experiencing homelessness. To learn more, visit urbanpeak. org.

Urban Peak broke ground on a new campus in January. Courtesy of Evan Semón Photography.

“The World in Denver: The Photography of Robert Weinberg” exhibit is now on display at the History Colorado Center Story on page 5. COURTESY PHOTOS

Adrian Miller wins second James Beard Award for latest book

BY KIRSTEN DAHL COLLINS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Denver food writer Adrian Miller loves pork spareribs so much he journeyed to Missouri to become a certified barbecue judge.

“A dream come true,” he wrote in his latest book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.”

When he entered the Kansas City Barbecue Society’s judging classroom, Miller looked around and realized he might wind up wearing an elastic belt.

“I was the only person in the room under ’two fiddy,’” he wrote, referring to the hefty average weight of the student body. “And I was OK with that being my future.”

But as Miller moved around the barbecue competition circuit, he noticed an absence of other Black judges — not to mention contestants. He watched the Food Network’s burgeoning coverage of barbecue, and noticed how few African American chefs were interviewed.

He got another shock in 2018 when he discovered that the first 27 inductees to the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in Kansas City included only one Black chef and one Native American.

Soon after, he started work on “Black Smoke.” Published in 2021, it recently won Miller his second James Beard Foundation Book Award.

The birth of barbecue

A self-confessed ‘cue head, Miller has written a loving, humorous and unsparing account of both barbecue history and the contemporary scene, including profiles of Black and Native American pitmasters who should be much better known than they are. He traces the birth of barbecue, exploring West African styles of cooking which traveled to America along with the slave trade and may have influenced barbecue’s spicy seasoning and sauces. Another influence? The Caribbean’s Indigenous people, who cooked plants and small animals on raised platforms over outdoor fires. Their delicious  barbacoas  gave American barbecue its name.

Native Americans also contributed. In Virginia, early colonists and their enslaved workers encountered local Indians cooking on raised platforms, on rotating spits and over shallow pits. Black cooks learned these techniques and adapted them, adding a powerful dose of hickory smoke.

In the antebellum South, large barbecues became the celebrations of choice for weddings, parties and political rallies. Whole hogs, ox, kid and other animals — including ‘possums and racoons — were smoked over open pits by expert Black cooks, who sat up all night, turning and basting.

“Even though (barbecue’s) roots in pit-style cooking on plantations are well known,” Miller wrote, “it’s largely attributed to the exceptional taste and unique skill of the White pitmasters who have claimed it as their own.”

He faults current media coverage, which tends to glorify White men as the most influential barbecue chefs. Kind of like claiming that Benny Goodman invented jazz.

In “Black Smoke,” Miller re-distributes the credit where it belongs.

From Denver to the White House and back again

The author, who graduated — appropriately

enough — from Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, did not expect to become the bard of barbecue. He went on to get a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., serve as a special assistant in the Clinton White House and as a policy analyst for former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter.

Despite these prestigious posts, his heart lay elsewhere. He began exploring African American foodways with his first book, “Soul Food: the Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time,” which won Miller his first James Beard Foundation Book Award in 2014. Three years later he published “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet,” which introduced readers to the many talented Black chefs, some enslaved, who cooked in the White House.

Although “Black Smoke” has a national perspective, Miller dishes up many choice morsels of Denver barbecue lore. He takes his audience back to the 1880s when a group of Denver businessmen hired Columbus B. Hill, an African American barbecue chef, to cater a picnic for 2,500 people. The meal, Miller wrote,  featured pit-smoked “…beef, possum and other tempting delicacies.”

1200 Broadway, in Denver.

Miller will provide an entertaining look at the people and places that shaped Colorado’s barbecue traditions, as described in his latest book, “Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.” There will be a book signing after the talk. “Black Smoke” can be purchased through the History Colorado website, historycolorado.org, or at the museum gift shop. It is also sold at the Tattered Cover.

Tickets cost $15 for the general public and $10 for History Colorado members.

Tickets can be purchased on History Colorado’s website.

To learn more about Miller and his books, visit adrianemiller.com.

One problem: as Hill’s fame spread, thousands of uninvited guests began showing up at his barbecues.

“…and they were hungry,” Miller noted dryly in “Black Smoke.”

Even for possum.

Miller also profiles Denver’s most beloved pitmaster, “Daddy” Bruce Randolph. The Arkansas native, who started barbecuing as a teen to earn extra money, arrived in Denver in 1960. Daddy Bruce did odd jobs until he could no longer resist the siren call of smoke. He was well into his 60s when he founded Daddy Bruce’s Bar-B-Q in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. His stellar reputation wafted all over town and eventually he became the official caterer of the Denver Broncos. Kind and deeply spiritual, Randolph also began the custom of serving free Thanksgiving dinners to the needy, a Denver tradition that continues today.

Introducing barbecue royalty

In sidebars throughout the book, Miller profiles 20 notable African American and Native American barbecue chefs. The book is also studded with 22 recipes “straight from

the pit,” from Old Arthur’s Pork Belly Burnt Ends to Chef Kenny Gilbert’s Alligator Ribs.  There are no ‘possum recipes.  But most will not consider this a drawback.

A certified barbecue judge to the core, Miller ends “Black Smoke” by listing his 20 favorite African American barbecue restaurants throughout the country. In 2021, when the book was published, no Denver restaurant made the cut. Still, in the past decade, Denver’s barbecue scene has caught fire and there are now many more contenders. Miller’s website currently lists more than a dozen of his favorite Denver-area barbecue sources, including several Black-owned establishments: Hungry Wolf BBQ in Aurora, Plates by the Pound BBQ also in Aurora and Mississippi Boy Catfish & Ribs in Denver’s Northeast Park Hill neighborhood.

This June, the Mile High City will host the fourth Denver BBQ Festival at Empower Field, a massive cook-off that draws thousands of hungry ‘cue heads. Last year’s 14 competitors included only one Black pitmaster.   But as he surveys the barbecue scene, Miller still finds many reasons for hope. These include the fact that in 2019, the Royal American Barbecue Hall of Fame responded to his criticism about its lack of diversity — and invited him to join the board.

The Rosenberry Lecture series will present a talk by James Beard Award-winning author Adrian Miller from 1-2 p.m. on March 22 at the History Colorado Center,

According to Denver author Adrian Miller, a self-described ‘cue head, “my barbecue touchstone is a pork sparerib. Everything else is secondary.” His book, “Black Smoke,” profiles the largely unsung African Americans who molded barbecue into a major cuisine.

PHOTO BY PAUL MILLER

He’s been legally blind since the 1990s.

Weinberg uses the latest technology to make the most of the little vision he has remaining to take photos, to get around on his own and to help other people learn how to live with blindness.

“ e World in Denver:

e Photography of Robert Weinberg” exhibit opened Jan. 20 and will be on display for one year in the second- oor mezzanine at History Colorado. It features eight photos from his decades of photography.

“It’s kind of unbelievable,” Weinberg said. “Not only that it’s showing my work, but for a whole year.”

In a History Colorado rst, each exhibit photo will be accompanied by a sign written in Braille to better serve those who are sight-impaired.

“History Colorado means a great deal,” Weinberg said. “It’s one thing to archive your work and know it has a home. But showing the works you’ve done in

But Weinberg, 75, has been through tough times as the world showed less and less of itself as the blindness advanced.

“I went through hell,” he said. “I was clinically depressed. It was years before I could go through all the training (to regain some

“The World in Denver: The Photography of Robert Weinberg” exhibit is now on display at the History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, in Denver. The exhibit will be up until January 2024. To learn more, visit historycolorado. org.

To view more of Weinberg’s photos online, visit weinbergphotographics. com.

sight). I did take a long time to learn a lot of things that help me.”

And help is available out there.

A text-reading software named JAWS (Job Access With Speech) helped Weinberg become a touch typist, easing the writing process.

“Now I can write all sorts of stu , use email and read

websites,” he said. “It’s the best and most expensive text-reading software. When I rst started losing my sight, a doctor said what I had was the best thing I could have had when you’re losing your sight.”

Closed-circuit TV has been another helpful tool. Its camera enlarges things, making them easier to see and read.

“It also has OCR — Optical Character Recognition — that can scan a printedout page and read it to you,” Weinberg said.

Weinberg is a fan of the Colorado Talking Books Library at 180 Sheridan Blvd. in Denver’s Barnum West neighborhood. He downloads books to a ash drive and listens to the narrative.

“Which is wonderful,” he said.

Weinberg was drawn to photography in 1965 when he took his rst photo course at George Washington High School, using a pinhole camera.

“You’d work with printedout paper, make an image

work in the dark, x it and then you’d have a print without having had a negative,” he said.

He’s still taking photos — and gave himself an assignment to shoot a large project of workers replacing all the elevators in a residential building.

“So I documented all the cranes that were there,” Weinberg said.

He gave prints of his work to some of the workers.

Jeremy Morton, public engagement manager at History Colorado, praised Weinberg’s innate photography skills.

“He has this ability to take close-up portraits of people in a way that intrigues them and highlights their humanity, and see into the person, even if you don’t know the back story,” Morton said. “He’s considered one of the preeminent photographers in Denver in the 1980s and 1990s. e work he produced during that time is considered (to be) like the documentation of Denver.”

“Cleo Parker Robinson” by Denver photographer Robert Weinberg. COURTESY OF WEINBERGPHOTOGRAPHICS.COM

RIGHTING A WRONG

Colorado recognizes Denver’s unsung hero, Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose

BY CANDY PETROFSKY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

ey say no two roses are alike.

And this is the case for one of Denver’s unsung heroes. ere will never be another Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose. e late Maj. Gen. Rose, of Denver, is known for being the highest-ranking Jewish general killed in action. Former presidents and generals, such as Gen. “Lightning” Joe Collins and Dwight D. Eisenhower, credited him for ending World War II.

And yet, children at the Basisschool Maurice Rose in the Netherlands - which is where Rose is buried - know more about him than the kids at Denver Public Schools. Denver resident Paul Shamon is doing something about that.

“I think it’s safe to say, at one time, those kids (attending the Basisschool Maurice Rose) knew more about Rose than our state legislators, rabbis and historians combined,” Shamon said. “It’s nice to see a wrong being righted.”

A few years ago, Shamon attended a book signing by Denver author Marshall Fogel who penned: “Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, the most decorated battle tank commander in U.S. military history.”

Like Fogel, Shamon rst learned of Rose after seeing his military helmet on display and a picture of him hanging in the lobby of Rose Medical Center — named in honor of the war hero — which is located at 4567 E. Ninth Ave. in Denver’s Hale neighborhood.

e helmet and picture made a great impression on Shamon, who was just a boy. And the same for Fogel, a former lawyer, who decided to write his book on Rose after he closed his law practice. e two eventually shared their great admiration for Rose and developed a strong kinship. Peoples’ memories of Rose were fading, Shamon said. “ is man deserved to be honored and remembered for his extraordinary sacri ce,” Shamon added. “He deserved a statue.”

A statue in Rose’s honor

In 2019, during a time when statues were being torn down across the country, Fogel and Shamon started fundraising for the Rose statue. eir goal was to raise $8,000 to erect a 10-foot-tall statue of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, to stand proudly on the grounds of the Denver capitol.

“No taxpayer funds were spent on the statue,” Shamon said. “All fundraising, including the maintenance of the statue, will be taken care of privately, in perpetuity.”

George Lundeen of Loveland was hired to sculpt the statue. Lundeen’s father was a pilot in WWII, but the sculptor had not known of Rose. e more he learned about him as he worked on the project, it became clear that Rose is “one of the greatest American heroes of WWII,” Lundeen said.

“It’s an honor to work on a piece like this,” Lundeen said. After three long years, thousands of Coloradoans will nally get to see the Rose statue when it’s installed in its new home at the Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, with the best place for viewing being at 14th Avenue and Lincoln Street. e nished product will be complete with a QR code that statue visitors can scan to learn all about the late Rose. e statue’s dedication ceremony is expected to take place late Spring.

‘The Clint Eastwood of the military’ Fogel described Rose as “the Clint Eastwood of the military.”

“He was a soldier’s soldier and that’s why his men loved him,” Fogel said. e son of a rabbi, Rose enlisted in the military at 17, after dropping out of Denver’s East High School. He had to lie about being Jewish or the Army wouldn’t accept him. Rose had George Clooneylike looks and an obsession with winning WWII. He fought right alongside his soldiers in the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions - putting their needs before his - and he had the ear of all the top brass during the time.

“ ere are so many stories of how he made sure his men were fed before he ate. How he refused medical service to remove shrapnel until his men were taken care of rst,” Fogel said. “He’s even buried in the Netherlands, right next to his

In fact, his only criticism was that he didn’t wear all his ribbons on his chest, added Fogel, and he always placed his command posts dangerously close to the front.

In comparison, Rose’s accomplishments are too many to note. But some of Fogel’s most extraordinary ndings include:

A miniature statue of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose. This is a small replica of the statue that will be placed in Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park in Denver in 2023.

PHOTO BY CHRISTY STEADMAN

Renowned sculptor George Lundeen in his studio in Loveland crafting the full-size statue of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose.

COURTESY PHOTO

The painting of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose that hung in the lobby of the Rose Medical Center circa 1949-1989. It has now been recovered and is once again at the Medical Center in a place of honor.

COURTESY PHOTO

To learn more about the Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose statue, visit rosemonument.org.

S.E.E.D. Awards recognize community e orts

Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, a registered neighborhood organization that serves the greater Capitol Hill area, presented its annual S.E.E.D. awards on Jan. 12.

is is the fourth year for the S.E.E.D. Awards Program, which exists to help organizations meet immediate funding needs for smaller projects that encourage civic entrepreneurship and/or promote neighborhood engagement. To be awarded S.E.E.D. funding, a project must enhance the greater Capitol Hill community and align with CHUN’s mission and values. S.E.E.D. is an acronym for Smart solutions-oriented development, Enrichment, Environmental sustainability, and Diversity in the community. is year, more than $5,000 were awarded to the community organizations.

“ e S.E.E.D. awards are an opportunity for our organization to fuel creativity through local solutions and community-based impact investments,” said John De enbaugh, executive director of CHUN, in a news release. “We are proud to be celebrating our fourth year of providing muchneeded funding to local groups and organizations in our community so that they can continue their important work.”

2023 S.E.E.D. RECIPIENTS B-KONNECTED

The project: the implementation and scaling of a tenant housing stability tool. Learn more: bkonnected.org

DENVER PARK TRUST

The project: fund the annual Parks, Rivers, Trails and Trees event at Cheesman Park.

Learn more: denverparktrust.org

OUR SAVIOR’S LUTHERAN CHURCH

The project: support Our Savior’s Lutheran Church’s Helping Hands program, which purchases much-needed items such as socks, clothing, and toiletries, for those experiencing homelessness. The church is located at 915 E. Ninth Ave.

Learn more: oslchurchdenver.org

RECREATIVE DENVER

The project: underwrite Head Room Sessions at various locations around Capitol Hill. Head Room Sessions are intimate live music sessions featuring BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists.

Learn more: recreativedenver.org

SENIOR HOUSING OPTIONS

The project: provide outdoor activities for residents of the Olin Hotel Apartments, 1420 Logan St. The Olin Hotel Apartments provides affordable housing for older adults and individuals with disabilities.

Learn more: seniorhousingoptions.org

DENVER EAST HIGH SCHOOL

The project: fund the creation of the Madam C.J. Walker Black Girl Hair Project.

Learn more: east.dpsk12.org

HEADWATERS PROTECTORS

The project: fund compassionate water and trash services for people experiencing homelessness.

Learn more: headwatersprotectors.org

QUEER COMMUNITY CULTURAL DISTRICT

The project: launch a new cultural

district to acknowledge and honor the historic and ongoing contributions of queer people to Denver and Capitol Hill. Learn more: Zach Kotel at zachkotel@ gmail.com

ReMerg

The project: help fund the Housing, Opportunity, Unity, Stability and Engagement (HOUSE) program for justiceinvolved populations. Learn more: remerg.com

Urban Servant Corps

The project: provide professional development for full-time staff.

Learn more: urbanservantcorps.org

CHUN also recognized its Good Neighbor Award recipients. These awards recognize organizations, individuals or businesses for outstanding contributions to the greater Capitol Hill community.

2023 GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD AWARD RECIPIENTS

Tom Knorr Community Leadership Award: Vickie Berkley and Nichole Racelis,

Roger Armstrong Volunteer of the Year Award: Jeanne Puerta

Historic Preservation Award: Semple Brown Architects

Neighborhood Character Award: Sienna Wine Bar

Affordable & Accessible Housing/Addressing Homelessness Award: Capitol Square Apartments

Neighborhood Safety Award: Rachel Griffin

• As head of the 3rd Armored Division, Rose liberated numerous towns in France and Belgium.

• He was the rst to breach the Siegfried Line.

• Rose led the rst ground invasion in Germany from the west and fought three Nazi counter-attacks during the Battle of the Bulge.

He was the rst to shoot down a German plane on German soil and lead a tank unit into Nazi Germany.

• Rose held the record for the longest one-day advance in history, covering 100 miles.

• Rose captured Cologne, Germany, and moved 16,000 soldiers in 24 hours to circle the Ruhr pocket. e encirclement led to the capture of 325,000 Nazi soldiers, and World War II comes to an end.

Rose earned every honor a general could at the time, including a Distinguished Service Cross, a Distinguished Service Medal, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Legion of Merit, a Purple Heart, a French Legion of Honor, a French Croix and a Belgian Croix.

Rose was killed in his Jeep during a random stop by the Germans. He was about to surrender, peacefully, when he was shot. According to Fogel, the Germans didn’t know of his rank because they left him to die on the side of the road. Two weeks later, WWII ended.

“Gen. Patton craved the media attention. Not Rose,” Shamon said. “He was just here to win both WWI and WWII. He always ew under the radar and that’s why he was so respected by regular people — and presidents.”

Show some love to freelancers this month

February is the month we acknowledge our loves and friendships, but there is another special group of people we must show gratitude to this month — freelancers.

According to the National Today website, Freelance Writers Appreciation Week is celebrated the second week of February each year.

I have some talented freelancers who certainly deserve some recognition this month. Every month, in fact.

While I may be the backbone of the publications as editor of the Life on Capitol Hill and Washington Park Pro le newspapers, the freelancers I work with certainly can be considered the rib cage. Without them, many of the wonderful stories you read

each month would not be in publication.

I have a sentimental story for how each of them became acquainted with me and/or the newspaper. As a journalist, it has been instilled in me since Day 1 of J-school to always report without bias. But I will admit, I am biased when it comes to my freelancers — nobody can tell a story like they do. My freelancers are such a bright and talented group of people. Each have their own style in their writing talent and it is a lot of fun to work with each of them to develop it — them learning from me, and me learning from them.

I do assign stories to them sometimes, but I particularly enjoy working with them on their unique story ideas. Some of these begin with a simple something they observed

Radon: the leading cause of cancer in people who don’t smoke

Being a lifelong health enthusiast, health educator and tness trainer — and married to a primary care physician — my family and I were blindsided by my Stage 3A lung cancer diagnosis in October of 2018. We were shocked as I had no respiratory symptoms and I have never smoked. My cancer was found incidentally while investigating what later turned out to be a benign ovarian cyst.

It wasn’t until my son, an environmental engineer, asked me if I had ever tested our home for radon when I learned that virtually anyone with lungs can get lung cancer and that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is the rst leading cause of lung cancer in people who don’t have a history of smoking. Considering the risk for lung cancer is high, why aren’t people exposed to high radon levels eligible for lung cancer screening? e United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends people ages 50-80 with a 20-pack year history of smoking, or have quit in the past 15 years, get a low dose CT

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Workers deserve to be paid for the work that they do. is is a simple concept and seems like common sense, but folks would be surprised to learn that there are frequent cases in which employees are not paid correctly. We refer to this as “wage theft” and Coloradans lose roughly $728 million in stolen wages, annually.

Denver City Council unanimously voted in favor of providing Denver Labor new tools to ensure that employees are paid properly. Denver City Council should be lauded for doing the work to collaboratively pass this legislation.

scan, which is painless and takes only a few minutes. Based on the conversation with our son, we tested our home using methods recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency and discovered that the radon levels in our home were elevated above the threshold of 4 pico curies (pCi/L). e EPA strongly advises that any radon level at or above 4 pCi/L should be reduced through a radon mitigation system. Radon mitigation needs to be done by professionally accredited operators and most health departments — including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment — post lists of accredited mitigators.

Radon is an invisible and odorless radioactive gas that can be found in many homes. It comes from the decomposition of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. When inhaled, radon can cause serious health problems including lung cancer. About half of all homes in Colorado have radon levels above the recommended limit of 4 pCi/L.

While there is no way for me to know with certainty if radon caused my lung cancer, I want people to know it is one risk factor that can be tested for and reduced to safe levels very easily. I

in Denver and want to explore further or a casual introduction to someone they nd particularly interesting. It is my freelancers’ intrigue that make papers shine each month.

My freelancers work hard, and are so dedicated to storytelling and ensuring their written word is the best that it can be for every story they write, every month. ey spend hours interviewing sources, researching information or news tips, gathering photos and in some cases, attending events.

So every time you see “Special to Colorado Community Media” in this February edition — and every month beyond — remember that it is the tireless work of one of my freelancers who brought that story to you.

Denver welcomes migrants today, and yesterday

Why Denver and why now? We wondered as we watched in early December as the quiet arrival of migrants from our southern border increased suddenly and noticeably. We watched with worry as they arrived to our city and were greeted with bone-chilling temperatures, full shelters and a city government on its heels, working overtime to welcome them the best it could.

ese new rules will require thoughtful implementation and a clear focus on equity since the majority of stolen wages target people of color, immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. I’m running for auditor to bring this kind of forward-looking vision to the Denver Auditor’s O ce. Denver’s workers deserve leadership.

Erik Clarke is a manager at a large accounting rm focused on nancial advisory and strategy. He’s a candidate for Denver City Auditor in the upcoming municipal election.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA

Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN

Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Councilmember

Robin Kniech

But Denver wasn’t the only city receiving men, women, families with children, people eeing violence, climate disruption and economic collapse abroad. And it wasn’t Denver’s rst time seeing a wave of cross-cultural migration. When life becomes untenable where you are, “somewhere else” becomes an answer — even at great cost and risk, without knowing what will come next.

We don’t have to look far back to see times when our city welcomed people taking such life-changing, risky journeys. History Colorado’s Colorado Encyclopedia chronicles Denver’s modern experience with these earlier eras:

· Waves of recruitment for immigrant labor largely drove waves of migration in the late 1800s into the early 1900s, including eastern European Jewish communities that formed in several neighborhoods of Denver.

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of Life in Cap Hill. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com

Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

Christy Steadman

GUEST COLUMN

Heidi Nafman Onda

SEE RADON, P9

· e Great Migration from 1910-20s brought Black residents from southern states to Denver. Our response was not a welcoming one, with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan among Denver’s political leadership.

· Many Japanese Americans were forced from their West Coast homes into internment camps — more than 2,000 — then relocated to Denver from 1942-1944.

· Racially restrictive covenants meant that more than 75% of Denver’s Black residents lived in Five Points by 1929, the World-War II era brought another wave of newcomers and Five Points’ Black population doubled by 1950 with former servicemembers and others.

Housing crunch? Denver had one in the post-war era, too. Concerns about language barriers and cultural di erences? Europeans didn’t speak English when they came to build railroads or work in meat packing plants. City resources? Denver’s funds are not unlimited, but surely the city’s economic success of recent years puts us in one of the strongest positions we’ve ever been in. What about jobs and our economy? Today, we have a relatively low unemployment rate, and employers in construction, restaurants and other elds are still looking to

RADON

also want people to know that smoking and exposure to radon are not the only risk factors for lung cancer and that many people develop lung cancer despite having no known risk factors. Exposure to secondhand smoke,

ll positions. And every person who works in our community also buys goods and services, stimulating more economic activity that grows the pie, pays sales taxes on those purchases and funds infrastructure and services in our community.

While many may be passing through to other destinations, we can and should prioritize continuing to welcome and support those who stay. ey will become a part of our city’s fabric just as those who’ve come before. is will require even more creativity on housing, legal support, job connections and community integration than we’ve brought to bear to support Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, but we are Denver and we can.

But Denver shouldn’t act alone. e United States House of Representatives passed a federal immigration reform bill that would have created a path for individuals to apply for residency, work visas and a more orderly system at the border. It. Does. Not. Have. To. Be. is. Way. e Senate failed to act. But those with their backs against the wall and no options don’t give up hope. So we can’t give up the ght for comprehensive immigration reform either.

Robin Kniech is an at-large member of Denver City Council. She can be reached at kniechatlarge@denvergov.org or 720-337-7712.

family history of lung cancer and air pollution are risk factors for lung cancer. Report any persistent symptoms you have to your doctor. Being young and having no known history of tobacco use does not make you immune to lung cancer, even if the risk is low.

Despite the well-known risks of radon, it concerns me that there isn’t more public

health messaging about radon, especially given its high prevalence in Colorado and many other states. e EPA estimates that radon kills approximately 21,000 people in the U.S. every year and about 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. ese numbers may be a low estimate, as I know my doctor never asked me if I knew the radon level

of my home when I was diagnosed. In fact, only a small number of family physicians transmit radon information to their patients. Please consider testing your home for radon at least every two years as recommended by the EPA because levels can change due to movement of soil, or new cracks in the foundation. Even if you have a mitigation system, testing is still recom-

mended. A mitigation system is like any other appliance, and it can malfunction or stop working. Learn more about radon and radon mitigation from the EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Nafman Onda is a cancer survivor and health educator

Heidi

This maze art features “Daddy” Bruce Randolph, a Denver restaurateur known for his humanitarianism -- particularly feeding the hungry. In Denver, he has both a school and a street named in his honor. This maze can be solved by starting at the S in any of the four corners, and mazing-out to about the middle of the picture to the W for win near Randolph’s eyes.

Mile High Happenings is a monthly column featuring community events throughout Denver, highlighting events that take place in the central and central-south neighborhoods covered by the Washington Park Pro le and Life on Capitol Hill newspapers.

Event submissions from community members and organizations are welcome. Submissions should include brief details about the event and a photo

Jan. 20-Feb. 26

or event logo.

Deadline is the 20th of each month for the event to be listed the following month. Cycle for the column’s listings will typically begin on the rst weekend of the month, depending on publication dates.

Submissions can be emailed to Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

February

15-May 28

Jan. 12-March 9

DU’s Lamont School of Music: Winter 2023 Concerts and Events

Time: Varies.

Location: Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts on the DU campus, 2344 E. Ili Ave.

Cost: Free, $5 or $12 depending on the event.

e Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver presents upwards of 300 concerts and events every season, including performances by students, solo and collaborative recitals by the school’s esteemed faculty members, and worldclass guest artists. Student performances include orchestra, wind ensemble, choirs, jazz ensembles, opera and a number of world music ensembles. All performances are open to the public. A full schedule of events can be found online.

More information/reservations: bit. ly/lamontconcerts Courtesy logo.

Feb. 21

Meowdi Gras

Time: All day.

Location: Meow Wolf Convergence Station, 1338 First St., Denver.

Cost: $40-$45

is all ages event takes place on 2023’s Fat Tuesday and will include: tarot readings, art vendors, a mask and crown maker station, creole specials with vegetarian options available at Cafe Du’Meow and more.

More information/reservations: tinyurl.com/MeowWolf-MeowdiGras

Image courtesy of Meow Wolf website.

70-Something

Time: Gallery hours: 1-4 p.m. Thursday - Sundays; 5-9 p.m. First Fridays; 5-8 p.m. Third Fridays.

Location: Niza Knoll Gallery, 915 Santa Fe Dr., Denver.

Cost: Free entry to gallery, artwork available for purchase.

Seven local artists whose ages range from the 70s to late 90s are showcasing their artwork — which includes ceramic sculptures, paintings and digital artwork — that they have created within the last ve years. Curated by Damon McLeese, the executive director of Access Gallery which is a nonpro t also located in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, the goal of this show i to combat ageism through art.

More information/reservations: nizaknollgallery. com

“Baby Zebra” by Howard Harris. Photo courtesy of press release from Niza Knoll Gallery.

Feb. 23

Vance Kirkland’s Cosmos

Time: Museum hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. WednesdaySaturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Location: Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver.

Cost: $10-$12; free for members.

The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art is celebrating its 20 th anniversary this year. Vance Kirkland (1904-1981), the namesake of the museum, was among the most important Colorado and regional painters of the 20th century. This temporary exhibition of Kirkland’s work features examples from eight series of the visions of Kirkland’s cosmos from 1954 to 1981.

More information/reservations: kirklandmuseum.org

“Creation of Space” by Vance Kirkland. Courtesy of the collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver.

Joy on Tap at the Children’s Museum of Denver

Time: 7-10 p.m.

Location: Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, 2121 Children’s Museum Dr.

Cost: $45 is adults-only (21+) craft beer event will allow guests to taste beers from more than 15 local breweries, snack on light bites and enjoy an evening of play experiencing the museum’s exhibits. All proceeds support the Museum’s educational programming and initiatives.

More information/reservations: mychildsmuseum.org Logo courtesy of Children’s Museum of Denver website.

Feb. 24-May 28

Feb. 26-June 18

Breakthroughs: A Celebration of RedLine at 15

Time: Museum hours: noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, closed Monday.

Location: MCA Denver’s Fries Building, 1485 Delgany St.

Cost: Free to $10.

e Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) and RedLine Contemporary Art Center are teaming up to present this collaborative exhibition that celebrates RedLine’s 15th anniversary. e exhibition re ects the current creative practice of nearly 20 Colorado artists who are RedLine’s Resident Artist alumni and past Resource Artists. e artists’ works part of the exhibit have been created within the last two years, with the majority being on view for the rst time in Denver.

Untitled (Five Patterned Women on the Ledge with White Flowers) by Daisy Patton. Photo courtesy of Daisy Patton and K Contemporary.

March 4

Renewal: Sculptures by Tamara Kostianovsky

Time: Gallery hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Location: Freyer-Newman Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St.

Cost: Included with admission.

Tamara Kostianovsky is a textile sculpture whose works draw inspiration from her childhood home in Argentina. Repurposing clothing from her own wardrobe as well as clothes, linens, upholstery and towels from family and friends, Kostianovsky forges connections to loved ones and childhood memories.

More information/reservations: botanicgardens.org/art-exhibits “Redwood” by Tamara Kostianovsky. Created of clothing belonging to the artist’s father, discarded textiles and wood, 2018. Photo by Roni Mocan.

Feb. 25

Cupid’s Undie Run Denver

Time: Noon to 4 p.m.

Location: Stoney’s Bar and Grill, 1111 Lincoln St., Denver.

Cost: $45 registration.

Cupid’s Undie Runs are taking place across the nation to raise money for research to help end neuro bromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. e events kick o with drinking and dancing, and that is followed by a jog/run for about a mile. e event culminates with a dance party. Virtual run option is available.

More information/reservations: cupids.org/cupids-undie-run Courtesy logo.

March 18

History Colorado’s Tours and Treks: Bold Women and Bolder Dishes

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Capitol Hill Concerts: Peter Stoltzman

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: First Unitarian Society of Denver, 1400 N. Lafayette St.

Cost: $20-$25 general admission.

Peter Stoltzman will perform an original contemporary jazz concert titled “Spiraling Inward.” Capitol Hill Concerts has a mission to o er high-caliber, musicallydiverse, family-friendly concerts, while also supporting local nonpro ts. A portion of the proceeds from this show will bene t the Colorado Music Bridge. Capitol Hill Concerts are livestreamed on YouTube for free but a donation is suggested.

More information/reservations: capitolhillconcerts.com

Photo courtesy of Capitol Hill Concerts website.

Location: History Colorado Center, 1200 N. Broadway, Denver.

Cost: $135 nonmembers, $115 for members. is tour will include a visit to various woman-owned local businesses where they serve social justice advocacy alongside their delicious food and drinks. Included in the ticket price is coach transportation, guide and interpretation services, teas, co ee, snacks, lunch and an optional beer tasting.

Registration deadline is March 6.

More information/reservations: historycolorado.org

Logo courtesy of History Colorado website.

Waste No More will bring access to compost and recycling in Denver

Denver residents see any changes.

BY ELICIA HESSELGRAVE SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Bex Schmelzel is looking forward to the day that Recycle Island will no longer take over the tiny kitchen in their Capitol Hill apartment.

Schmelzel’s apartment building does not provide recycling. Recycle Island is what Schmelzel and their partner call the pile of recyclables they store until a friend — who works at a recycling center in Boulder — can pick up the recyclables and drop them o .

“It’s such a relief when we can get rid of it,” Schmelzel said.

ey added that when there are months that go by before the friend is able to help with their recyclables, Recycle Island has, at times, reached about two-by-two feet or more.

“I don’t like the idea of being wasteful,” Schmelzel said. “I literally feel bad in my heart for being wasteful.”

Denver is on the path to ‘Waste No More’ Ean Tafoya, a candidate for mayor who served as co-director of the Waste No More campaign, and his colleagues worked on the measure for two years. In 2016, Tafoya was petitioning for the Denver Green Roof Initiative — which voters passed in 2017 and is now known as the Green Buildings Ordinance — when he discovered that Denver residents actually had a greater interest in access to recycling.

So, he and a team went to work to start writing the Waste No More initiative in 2020 and collected more than 11,000 signatures to get Waste No More on the ballot. ey missed the deadline for the 2021 election, but knowing Denver residents cared about access to recycling, Tafoya and his team continued their work to ensure it was on the November 2022 ballot.

“ ere has been a delay in (the) climate action that science is asking for, and my generation is crying for,” Tafoya said. “It is clear from the vote of the Denver public, this is what we want.”

Bex Schmelzel will be glad when Waste No More will be implemented so that their Recycle Island will be a thing of the past. Schmelzel’s apartment in Denver currently does not o er recycling, so sometimes Recycle Island can pile up to two-by-two feet or more before a friend is able to pick up the recyclables and drop them o at a recycling center.

To learn more about the Waste No More Implementation Task Force, visit tinyurl.com/TaskForce-WasteNoMore. Deadline to apply to serve on the task force was Jan. 27, but the webpage has a meeting schedule, which are open to the public.

But until Schmelzel’s apartment complex starts o ering recycling, there’s little that they can do except let Recycle Island pile up. Schmelzel works at a school and is attending graduate school at the University of Denver so they are not able to a ord other sustainable options such as re ll shops.

ankfully for Schmelzel, Ballot Measure 306, known as Waste No More, passed in November with nearly a 71% yes vote. is law requires all buildings in Denver, like Schmelzel’s apartment building, to provide access to recycling.

Schmelzel hopes the Waste No More initiative will reframe how people think about recycling.

“It’s a good measure,” they said. “We want to be able to recycle.”

Still, it could be a number of months before

He added that Waste No More has the potential to make a signi cant impact on the local environment.

According to the most recent numbers available, Denver is sending about 75% of its waste to land ll. ese numbers, which are from 2021, demonstrate that Denver’s diversion rate — the amount of material that is not sent to land ll — is at 25.7%. For comparison, the Boulder County Sustainability website reports its diversion rate is 35%, and the 2021 Fort Collins Waste Reduction & Recycling Report states its diversion rate was 55.5% for that year.

e city of Denver is making strides to improve its diversion rate and Waste No More will play a big role.

Hit your mark with online advertising

303-566-4100

But the citizen-led ordinance needs revisions before it can be enforced

Once implemented, every building in Denver will be required to provide three waste bins: land ll, recycling and compost. is includes restaurants, businesses, o ces, stadiums and multi-family housing with more than four units. With greater access to recycling and composting, the people of Denver will have the opportunity to appropriately sort their trash.

Another important component of the policy requires construction and demolition sites to adopt more sustainable practices.

“Demolition waste accounts for half of our climate emissions and materials like metal, corrugate, glass, concrete and asphalt can be diverted from the land ll,” Tafoya said, adding that the Waste No More law will ensure these materials are properly recycled.

Timeline is di erent than other ballot measures

Waste No More will be enforced by the city of Denver with the O ce of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency taking the lead. But there is a lot of uncertainty about how the new law will work and it could be awhile before it is enforced.

Since Waste No More was a citizen-led initiative, the timeline for enforcement looks a little di erent than other ballot measures written by city council. One cause for delay can be attributed to the language the initiative used because it is not what the city would use.

Grace Rink, Denver’s chief climate

o cer, used a tra c violation as an example. When a person gets a trafc ticket, there are speci c guidelines for how to appeal that ticket. With Waste No More, how it will be enforced is not written into the language, Rink said. Additionally, Rink added, the way it is currently written implies that an apartment building can be ned for not complying, but it does not de ne what the ne is or what an appeal looks like.  erefore, Rink said, the bill must be revised, but the language on the original ballot cannot be changed for at least six months after the election.

ere are a few steps the city is doing in the meantime to get things rolling. First, a task force must be created. is group of 25 individuals will consist of stakeholders from entities that are regulated by the ordinance. ese include recycling centers, trash haulers, special events companies, restaurant owners, organics processors and building owners. Waste No More ballot sponsors will hold two seats, according to Tafoya. Rink said the task force will hold regular meetings for six months, beginning in March and the public may attend and observe. e goal of this task force is not to rewrite the ordinance, but to make recommendations for adjustments to state concise rules and enforcement guidelines. ese regulation revisions must rst be approved by city sta and then presented to city council.

Ordinances working in tandem

In addition to Waste No More, other environmentally-focused proposals were recently adopted in Denver. ese include the “pay

as you throw” trash pickup, which charges for land ll waste bins while recycling and compost are free; the Bring Your Own Bag program, which encourages reusable bag use by charging for disposable bags; and the Single-Use Accessory Restriction Ordinance which requires all retail food establishments to only provide single-use condiments and plasticware upon customer request.

A statewide Producer Responsibility Ordinance (PRO) was also signed last summer. e PRO will provide free and equitable recycling to all Coloradoans as well as encourage more sustainable practices from Colorado manufacturers.

All of these ordinances will work in tandem to accelerate Denver’s goal. “CASR, in partnership with Denver’s Department of Transportation & Infrastructure and the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, recommends to divert 50% of all solid waste generated by 2027 and 70% by 2032,” according to devergov.org.

With regard to Waste No More speci cally, some businesses have already adopted the three waste stream practices.

Vital Root, a restaurant located at 3915 Tennyson St. in Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood, has been o ering three waste streams for years. e restaurant has incorporated the use of compostable supplies, including takeaway containers.

One of the managers, Kathryn Begley, said it’s important to the company and the restaurant’s guests to be environmentally conscious.

“It is a big mission statement to us,” said Begley.

But the city needs to provide better education on how to sort waste

material, Begley added.

Customers are receptive to the recycling and compost program at Vital Root, but Begley has noticed there are issues with people knowing what is compostable and what is not.

“Lots of people will send their whole trays to the trash, even though we have made an e ort to provide recycle and compostable bins,” Begley said. “ e general public needs better education.”

Vital Root isn’t the only business struggling with material sorted by the public becoming contaminated.   A1 Organics processes all the composting in Denver and has reported seeing glass mixed in with composted materials, Rink said. Unfortunately, this contaminates the material that can be composted so all of it has to be taken to the land ll. To combat this, A1 has restricted the material it will accept to just the basics: food scraps and yard waste only.

e city is preparing to improve the education program to help residents learn how to properly dispose of their trash. Clear messaging in multiple languages, as well as the use of symbols, are part of these improvements.

“Right now, everywhere you go the recycling signs are di erent,” Rink said. “It only adds to the confusion.” Rink’s goal is to provide the same information citywide. Whether it’s at school, a restaurant or at home, the same trash/recycling/compost signage will be posted throughout Denver.

“Education is key,” Rink said. “It’s one thing to o er the three waste streams, but if we are not using it right, it defeats the purpose.”

Ensemble to display their skill at University of Denver

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

O the west coast of Japan lies the island of Sado, home to luscious green forests, steep oceanside cli s and the most renowned taiko drummers in the world.

Early mornings on the island, residents are greeted with the deep, thumping sound of drumming as they make their way to work and school. e radiating sound of a gong can be heard for miles as the performers practice throughout the day to perfect their ancient craft. e drumming of the KODO

Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble has been the soundtrack to the lives many Sado people as they go about their days for more than four decades.

Sado Island is home to the Kodo Apprentice Center, the home for new hopefuls to complete a two-year apprenticeship program before becoming members of the o cial ensemble. Kodo apprentices live communally at the center, where they learn taiko, dance, song, bamboo ute and other traditional Japanese arts. ey live a very minimalist lifestyle, rid of distractions so they can concentrate on their rigorous training. Cell phones, computers and dating are strictly prohibited for apprentices while living on Sado.

ough the ensemble performs with various instruments during its shows, the taiko are at the forefront of a Kodo performance. Taiko drums were introduced to Japan in the sixth century CE through Korean and Chinese cultural in uence along the Silk Road, a panEurasian trade system that lasted for nearly two millennia. Contemporarily

used as traditional performance instruments, taiko have been used throughout Japanese history — during wartimes to organize troops, at royal processions, throughout religious rituals and sometimes as personal instruments. Performance taiko drumming evolved in the mid-20th century, becoming popular at Japanese festivals to entertain laypeople. Later in the 1980s, taiko performance would become popularized worldwide with traveling ensembles like Kodo.

e Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble will be performing at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver on Feb. 18 and 19. Kodo will perform its One Earth Tour entitled “Tsuzumi.”

e performance will be a highlight of Kodo’s home on Sado Island, sharing the tale of its ancient history and tranquil landscape.

“Kodo One Earth Tour: Tsuzumi is the rst production in a series of commemorative works we created for Kodo’s 40th anniversary celebrations in 2021,” said Director Yuichiro Funabashi in a news release. “ e theme of this work is our home base, Sado Island. With its lush nature and distinct history, this special place has been the starting point for Kodo’s diverse local and international activities for the past four decades. Conjured and honed on Sado, Kodo’s sound is like no other. I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy this performance and the visceral sound of Kodo’s taiko.”

JAPANESE DRUMMING COMES TO DENVER

Kodo member plays a set of taiko drums during a performance.

“Tsuzumi” features three of Kodo’s 10 female performers.

The Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble will be performing at the University of Denver on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19.

The Kodo Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble is performing at the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver, 2344 E. Ili Ave. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19. Tickets start at $39. To purchase tickets, visit newmancenterpresents.com.

For Girl Scouts, cookie sales generate a sense of accomplishment

This year’s cookie season runs Feb. 5-March 12

BY CHRISTY STEADMAN CSTEADMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e rst year that Denver Girl Scout Bianca Morris started selling Girl Scout Cookies, she was hesitant to stand at a grocery store booth because she had yet not built up her con dence with customer interactions.

Today, booth sales are her favorite part of the scouts’ annual cookie business. She enjoys joyful conversations with customers as she rings up sales, and gracefully accepts the “no, thank yous.”

Morris, who is 13 and in the eighth grade, has been in Girl Scouts since she was in the third grade. After muddling through the COVID-19 pandemic for the past couple of years, this year she is eager for more in-person encounters.

“It brings the community together,” Morris said of cookie season. “It’s something you can look forward to every year.”

Cookie sales run from Feb. 5 to March 12 and nine di erent kinds of cookies are going by the boxful: Adventurefuls, in Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Dos-Si-Dos and Lemon-Ups, S’mores and To eetastic. e cookies sell for $5 or $6 a box.

A new thin, chocolate-dipped cookie, Raspberry Rally, won’t be

on Morris’ counter, but available as an online-exclusive. e Girl Scouts’ Digital Cookie platforms will o er it starting Feb. 27.

“Everyone loves Girl Scout Cookies — but the program is about so much more than cookies,” said Leanna Clark, CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado, in a news release. “When you purchase cookies, you are helping girls power their Girl Scout leadership experience and you’re supporting female entrepreneurs.”

Cookie season focuses on ve lifelong skills: goal setting, decision making, money management,

Argonaut Has It!

HOW TO GET GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

1. Booth sales: There is a mobile app to help find the Girl Scout cookie booths, or text COOKIES to 59618. To use the Cookie Finder online, visit girlscoutsofcolorado. org, and select Find Cookies. Enter your zip code in the Cookie Finder, and a new window will provide you with a list of dates, times and locations of a local Girl Scout cookie booth.

2. Digital Cookie: If you know a Girl Scout, this might be the most direct way to get your cookies. Your Girl Scout might send you an invite to purchase cookies from her Digital Cookie site, but you can also ask her for her Digital Cookie link. Through Digital Cookie, you pay online and cookies are shipped.

people skills and business ethics.

“I think the most valuable aspect of the program is the way the skills build upon each other and grow with the girls,” said Robin Morris, Bianca’s mom. “As a Brownie, the girls were developing their people skills — getting out into the community and talking to people. Now, as teens they are using management skills as they begin working at their rst jobs and saving towards college.”

Girl Scouts begin their journey as Daisies in kindergarten and rst grade. ey become Brownies in the second and third grade, then

Juniors. Bianca Morris is currently a Cadette. Her next step will be a Senior as a ninth- and 10th-grader before she becomes an Ambassador in her junior and senior year of high school.

“Eating cookies is always a perk of cookie season,” Bianca Morris said.

But it’s the sense of accomplishment that is most rewarding.

Through the years, Bianca Morris has learned many skills — both as a Girl Scout and through cookie sales — that have carried through to different aspects of her life.

“Bianca’s confidence has soared as a result,” Robin Morris said.

She pointed to a recent example that her daughter experienced at school when one of the clubs Bianca Morris is part of was raising funds to donate to a charity.

“They were selling baked goods and the table was overrun by hungry middle schoolers anxious to buy,” Robin Morris said. “Bianca quickly jumped behind the counter and told her teachers she was experienced with cash handling from Girl Scouts and could help the teachers run the cash box.”

Cookie sales have been a staple for the scouts for more than 100 years. e tradition started in 1917.

“I think every person may have some connection to selling, buying or eating Girl Scout Cookies,” Robin Morris said. “Today’s Girl Scouts are excited to continue to create that experience for others as they build a foundation of practical life skills.”

Bianca Morris, a 13-year-old Denver Girl Scout, is looking forward to selling cookies again this year — particularly the booth sales because that’s when she gets to interact with the community. Cookie season runs Feb. 5-March 12 this year.